Cristian Sepulveda | SUNY Farmingdale (original) (raw)

Papers by Cristian Sepulveda

Research paper thumbnail of Intergovernmental Fiscal Relations in Romania: Challenges and Options for Reform

The Andrew Young School of Policy Studies was established at Georgia State University with the ob... more The Andrew Young School of Policy Studies was established at Georgia State University with the objective of promoting excellence in the design, implementation, and evaluation of public policy. In addition to two academic departments (economics and public administration), the Andrew Young School houses seven leading research centers and policy programs, including the International Studies Program. The mission of the International Studies Program is to provide academic and professional training, applied research, and technical assistance in support of sound public policy and sustainable economic growth in developing and transitional economies. The International Studies Program at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies is recognized worldwide for its efforts in support of economic and public policy reforms through technical assistance and training around the world. This reputation has been built serving a diverse client base, including the World Bank, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), finance ministries, government organizations, legislative bodies and private sector institutions.

Research paper thumbnail of Reigning in Provincial Fiscal 'Owners': Decentralization in Lao P.D.R

The Andrew Young School of Policy Studies was established at Georgia State University with the ob... more The Andrew Young School of Policy Studies was established at Georgia State University with the objective of promoting excellence in the design, implementation, and evaluation of public policy. In addition to two academic departments (economics and public administration), the Andrew Young School houses seven leading research centers and policy programs, including the International Studies Program. The mission of the International Studies Program is to provide academic and professional training, applied research, and technical assistance in support of sound public policy and sustainable economic growth in developing and transitional economies. The International Studies Program at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies is recognized worldwide for its efforts in support of economic and public policy reforms through technical assistance and training around the world. This reputation has been built serving a diverse client base, including the World Bank, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), finance ministries, government organizations, legislative bodies and private sector institutions.

Research paper thumbnail of Intergovernmental Transfers in Latin America: A Policy Reform Perspective

International Studies Program Andrew Young School of Policy Studies The Andrew Young School of Po... more International Studies Program Andrew Young School of Policy Studies The Andrew Young School of Policy Studies was established at Georgia State University with the objective of promoting excellence in the design, implementation, and evaluation of public policy. In addition to two academic departments (economics and public administration), the Andrew Young School houses seven leading research centers and policy programs, including the International Studies Program. The mission of the International Studies Program is to provide academic and professional training, applied research, and technical assistance in support of sound public policy and sustainable economic growth in developing and transitional economies. The International Studies Program at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies is recognized worldwide for its efforts in support of economic and public policy reforms through technical assistance and training around the world. This reputation has been built serving a diverse client base, including the World Bank, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), finance ministries, government organizations, legislative bodies and private sector institutions.

Research paper thumbnail of Decentralizing Revenue in Latin America: Why and How (Executive Summary)

Research paper thumbnail of The Municipal Transfer System in Nicaragua: Evaluation and Proposals for Reform

For almost 20 years, the Nicaraguan authorities have been implementing a fiscal decentralization ... more For almost 20 years, the Nicaraguan authorities have been implementing a fiscal decentralization process to devolve an increasing degree of autonomy to municipalities. As a part of this process, and mainly due to the efforts of the Association of Municipalities of Nicaragua (AMUNIC is the acronym in Spanish), the first municipal transfers were approved in just 1999. Later, the funds

Research paper thumbnail of Equalization Transfers in Romania: Current System and Proposals for Reform

Romania has been actively reforming its intergovernmental transfer system during the last years. ... more Romania has been actively reforming its intergovernmental transfer system during the last years. The new Law on Local Public Finance, which will come into force in January 2007, will involve substantial modifications both to the institutional arrangements and to the formula employed to distribute equalization funds across counties and communes. As with the former transfer mechanism, the new system is

Research paper thumbnail of The Consequences of Fiscal Decentralization on Poverty and Income Inequality

International Center For Public Policy Working Paper Series at Aysps Gsu, Feb 1, 2010

The Andrew Young School of Policy Studies was established at Georgia State University with the ob... more The Andrew Young School of Policy Studies was established at Georgia State University with the objective of promoting excellence in the design, implementation, and evaluation of public policy. In addition to two academic departments (economics and public administration), the Andrew Young School houses seven leading research centers and policy programs, including the International Studies Program. The mission of the International Studies Program is to provide academic and professional training, applied research, and technical assistance in support of sound public policy and sustainable economic growth in developing and transitional economies. The International Studies Program at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies is recognized worldwide for its efforts in support of economic and public policy reforms through technical assistance and training around the world. This reputation has been built serving a diverse client base, including the World Bank, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), finance ministries, government organizations, legislative bodies and private sector institutions.

Research paper thumbnail of Substitution and Income Effects of Lump-Sum Income at the Aggregate Level: The Effective Budget Constraint of the Government and the Flypaper Effect

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2000

Research paper thumbnail of Public Goods, Labor Supply and the Source of Economic Distortions

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2000

The Andrew Young School of Policy Studies was established at Georgia State University with the ob... more The Andrew Young School of Policy Studies was established at Georgia State University with the objective of promoting excellence in the design, implementation, and evaluation of public policy. In addition to two academic departments (economics and public administration), the Andrew Young School houses seven leading research centers and policy programs, including the International Studies Program. The mission of the International Studies Program is to provide academic and professional training, applied research, and technical assistance in support of sound public policy and sustainable economic growth in developing and transitional economies. The International Studies Program at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies is recognized worldwide for its efforts in support of economic and public policy reforms through technical assistance and training around the world. This reputation has been built serving a diverse client base, including the World Bank, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), finance ministries, government organizations, legislative bodies and private sector institutions. The success of the International Studies Program reflects the breadth and depth of the in-house technical expertise that the International Studies Program can draw upon. The Andrew Young School's faculty are leading experts in economics and public policy and have authored books, published in major academic and technical journals, and have extensive experience in designing and implementing technical assistance and training programs. Andrew Young School faculty have been active in policy reform in over 40countries around the world. Our technical assistance strategy is not to merely provide technical prescriptions for policy reform, but to engage in a collaborative effort with the host government and donor agency to identify and analyze the issues at hand, arrive at policy solutions and implement reforms. The International Studies Program specializes in four broad policy areas:  Fiscal policy, including tax reforms, public expenditure reviews, tax administration reform  Fiscal decentralization, including fiscal decentralization reforms, design of intergovernmental transfer systems, urban government finance  Budgeting and fiscal management, including local government budgeting, performancebased budgeting, capital budgeting, multi-year budgeting  Economic analysis and revenue forecasting, including micro-simulation, time series forecasting, For more information about our technical assistance activities and training programs, please

Research paper thumbnail of Property Taxation in Latin-America: An Assessment and Options for Reform

Research paper thumbnail of Explaining property tax collections in developing countries: the case of Latin America

Decentralization and Reform in Latin America, 2012

The Andrew Young School of Policy Studies was established at Georgia State University with the ob... more The Andrew Young School of Policy Studies was established at Georgia State University with the objective of promoting excellence in the design, implementation, and evaluation of public policy. In addition to two academic departments (economics and public administration), the Andrew Young School houses seven leading research centers and policy programs, including the International Studies Program. The mission of the International Studies Program is to provide academic and professional training, applied research, and technical assistance in support of sound public policy and sustainable economic growth in developing and transitional economies. The International Studies Program at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies is recognized worldwide for its efforts in support of economic and public policy reforms through technical assistance and training around the world. This reputation has been built serving a diverse client base, including the World Bank, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), finance ministries, government organizations, legislative bodies and private sector institutions.

Research paper thumbnail of Intergovernmental transfers: a policy reform perspective

Decentralization and Reform in Latin America, 2012

Research paper thumbnail of Toward a More General Theory of Revenue Assignments

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2000

The Andrew Young School of Policy Studies was established at Georgia State University with the ob... more The Andrew Young School of Policy Studies was established at Georgia State University with the objective of promoting excellence in the design, implementation, and evaluation of public policy. In addition to two academic departments (economics and public administration), the Andrew Young School houses seven leading research centers and policy programs, including the International Center for Public Policy. The mission of the International Center for Public Policy is to provide academic and professional training, applied research, and technical assistance in support of sound public policy and sustainable economic growth in developing and transitional economies. The International Center for Public Policy at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies is recognized worldwide for its efforts in support of economic and public policy reforms through technical assistance and training around the world. This reputation has been built serving a diverse client base, including the World Bank, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), finance ministries, government organizations, legislative bodies and private sector institutions. The success of the International Center for Public Policy reflects the breadth and depth of the in-house technical expertise that the International Center for Public Policy can draw upon. The Andrew Young School's faculty are leading experts in economics and public policy and have authored books, published in major academic and technical journals, and have extensive experience in designing and implementing technical assistance and training programs. Andrew Young School faculty have been active in policy reform in over 40 countries around the world. Our technical assistance strategy is not to merely provide technical prescriptions for policy reform, but to engage in a collaborative effort with the host government and donor agency to identify and analyze the issues at hand, arrive at policy solutions and implement reforms. The International Center for Public Policy specializes in four broad policy areas:  Fiscal policy, including tax reforms, public expenditure reviews, tax administration reform  Fiscal decentralization, including fiscal decentralization reforms, design of intergovernmental transfer systems, urban government finance  Budgeting and fiscal management, including local government budgeting, performancebased budgeting, capital budgeting, multi-year budgeting  Economic analysis and revenue forecasting, including micro-simulation, time series forecasting, For more information about our technical assistance activities and training programs, please visit our website at

Research paper thumbnail of Sub-National Revenue Mobilization in Peru

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2000

This paper analyzes the problem of sub-national revenue mobilization in Peru and proposes several... more This paper analyzes the problem of sub-national revenue mobilization in Peru and proposes several policy reforms to improve collection performance while maintaining a sound revenue structure. In particular, the paper analyzes the current revenues of regional and municipal governments and identifies the main priorities for reform. Among the most important problems are the acute inequalities and inefficiencies associated with revenue sharing from extractive industries. These revenues represent a significant share of sub-national budgets and currently they are distributed without consideration of the relative expenditure needs or fiscal capacity of sub-national units. In order to address this problem, the paper proposes the incorporation of a measure of fiscal capacity into the formula of the FONCOMUN, the municipal equalization transfer program. Other reforms explored include the reassignment of revenue sources between municipal provincial and district governments and the assignment of new taxes to regional governments.

Research paper thumbnail of Intergovernmental Transfers in Latin America: A Policy Reform Perspective

CEPAL, Santiago de Chile, 2010

International Studies Program Andrew Young School of Policy Studies The Andrew Young School of Po... more International Studies Program Andrew Young School of Policy Studies The Andrew Young School of Policy Studies was established at Georgia State University with the objective of promoting excellence in the design, implementation, and evaluation of public policy. In addition to two academic departments (economics and public administration), the Andrew Young School houses seven leading research centers and policy programs, including the International Studies Program. The mission of the International Studies Program is to provide academic and professional training, applied research, and technical assistance in support of sound public policy and sustainable economic growth in developing and transitional economies. The International Studies Program at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies is recognized worldwide for its efforts in support of economic and public policy reforms through technical assistance and training around the world. This reputation has been built serving a diverse client base, including the World Bank, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), finance ministries, government organizations, legislative bodies and private sector institutions.

Research paper thumbnail of Two Essays on Public Economics: The Consequences of Fiscal Decentralization on Poverty and Inequality, and The Second Best Solution to The Public Expenditures' …

Users of this dissertation not regularly enrolled as students at Georgia State University are req... more Users of this dissertation not regularly enrolled as students at Georgia State University are required to attest acceptance of the preceding stipulations by signing below. Libraries borrowing this dissertation for the use of their patrons are required to see that each user records here the information requested.

Research paper thumbnail of Intergovernmental Fiscal Relations in Romania: Challenges and Options for Reform

… Working Paper Series …, 2006

Downloadable! Right after Romania's change in regime in December 1989, profound changes in t... more Downloadable! Right after Romania's change in regime in December 1989, profound changes in the structure and functioning of government and the economy started to take place. Since the early 1990s the decentralization of the public sector has been an important policy initiative ...

Research paper thumbnail of Reigning in Provincial Fiscal 'Owners': Decentralization in Lao PDR

… Program Working Paper …, 2008

The Andrew Young School of Policy Studies was established at Georgia State University with the ob... more The Andrew Young School of Policy Studies was established at Georgia State University with the objective of promoting excellence in the design, implementation, and evaluation of public policy. In addition to two academic departments (economics and public administration), the Andrew Young School houses seven leading research centers and policy programs, including the International Studies Program. The mission of the International Studies Program is to provide academic and professional training, applied research, and technical assistance in support of sound public policy and sustainable economic growth in developing and transitional economies. The International Studies Program at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies is recognized worldwide for its efforts in support of economic and public policy reforms through technical assistance and training around the world. This reputation has been built serving a diverse client base, including the World Bank, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), finance ministries, government organizations, legislative bodies and private sector institutions.

Research paper thumbnail of The consequences of fiscal decentralization on poverty and income equality

Environment and Planning C: …, 2011

Many countries around the world are currently pursuing policies for poverty reduction and the imp... more Many countries around the world are currently pursuing policies for poverty reduction and the improvement of income distribution, and most of them are also implementing fiscal decentralization reforms. Although, separately, fiscal decentralization, poverty, and the distribution of income have been the subjects of extensive theoretical and empirical research, to date we have little understanding of what may be the impact of fiscal decentralization on poverty and inequality. We set out to shed some light on those relationships. We describe the possible channels through which fiscal decentralization might affect poverty and income inequalities and carry out an empirical analysis using panel data for a large number of countries. We find that fiscal decentralization may have significant effects on poverty and inequality. In particular, fiscal decentralization appears to lead to increases in the poverty measures we use, but it also appears to reduce income inequality if the general government represents a significant share of the economy (20% or more).

Research paper thumbnail of Intergovernmental Fiscal Relations in Romania: Challenges and Options for Reform

The Andrew Young School of Policy Studies was established at Georgia State University with the ob... more The Andrew Young School of Policy Studies was established at Georgia State University with the objective of promoting excellence in the design, implementation, and evaluation of public policy. In addition to two academic departments (economics and public administration), the Andrew Young School houses seven leading research centers and policy programs, including the International Studies Program. The mission of the International Studies Program is to provide academic and professional training, applied research, and technical assistance in support of sound public policy and sustainable economic growth in developing and transitional economies. The International Studies Program at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies is recognized worldwide for its efforts in support of economic and public policy reforms through technical assistance and training around the world. This reputation has been built serving a diverse client base, including the World Bank, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), finance ministries, government organizations, legislative bodies and private sector institutions.

Research paper thumbnail of Reigning in Provincial Fiscal 'Owners': Decentralization in Lao P.D.R

The Andrew Young School of Policy Studies was established at Georgia State University with the ob... more The Andrew Young School of Policy Studies was established at Georgia State University with the objective of promoting excellence in the design, implementation, and evaluation of public policy. In addition to two academic departments (economics and public administration), the Andrew Young School houses seven leading research centers and policy programs, including the International Studies Program. The mission of the International Studies Program is to provide academic and professional training, applied research, and technical assistance in support of sound public policy and sustainable economic growth in developing and transitional economies. The International Studies Program at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies is recognized worldwide for its efforts in support of economic and public policy reforms through technical assistance and training around the world. This reputation has been built serving a diverse client base, including the World Bank, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), finance ministries, government organizations, legislative bodies and private sector institutions.

Research paper thumbnail of Intergovernmental Transfers in Latin America: A Policy Reform Perspective

International Studies Program Andrew Young School of Policy Studies The Andrew Young School of Po... more International Studies Program Andrew Young School of Policy Studies The Andrew Young School of Policy Studies was established at Georgia State University with the objective of promoting excellence in the design, implementation, and evaluation of public policy. In addition to two academic departments (economics and public administration), the Andrew Young School houses seven leading research centers and policy programs, including the International Studies Program. The mission of the International Studies Program is to provide academic and professional training, applied research, and technical assistance in support of sound public policy and sustainable economic growth in developing and transitional economies. The International Studies Program at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies is recognized worldwide for its efforts in support of economic and public policy reforms through technical assistance and training around the world. This reputation has been built serving a diverse client base, including the World Bank, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), finance ministries, government organizations, legislative bodies and private sector institutions.

Research paper thumbnail of Decentralizing Revenue in Latin America: Why and How (Executive Summary)

Research paper thumbnail of The Municipal Transfer System in Nicaragua: Evaluation and Proposals for Reform

For almost 20 years, the Nicaraguan authorities have been implementing a fiscal decentralization ... more For almost 20 years, the Nicaraguan authorities have been implementing a fiscal decentralization process to devolve an increasing degree of autonomy to municipalities. As a part of this process, and mainly due to the efforts of the Association of Municipalities of Nicaragua (AMUNIC is the acronym in Spanish), the first municipal transfers were approved in just 1999. Later, the funds

Research paper thumbnail of Equalization Transfers in Romania: Current System and Proposals for Reform

Romania has been actively reforming its intergovernmental transfer system during the last years. ... more Romania has been actively reforming its intergovernmental transfer system during the last years. The new Law on Local Public Finance, which will come into force in January 2007, will involve substantial modifications both to the institutional arrangements and to the formula employed to distribute equalization funds across counties and communes. As with the former transfer mechanism, the new system is

Research paper thumbnail of The Consequences of Fiscal Decentralization on Poverty and Income Inequality

International Center For Public Policy Working Paper Series at Aysps Gsu, Feb 1, 2010

The Andrew Young School of Policy Studies was established at Georgia State University with the ob... more The Andrew Young School of Policy Studies was established at Georgia State University with the objective of promoting excellence in the design, implementation, and evaluation of public policy. In addition to two academic departments (economics and public administration), the Andrew Young School houses seven leading research centers and policy programs, including the International Studies Program. The mission of the International Studies Program is to provide academic and professional training, applied research, and technical assistance in support of sound public policy and sustainable economic growth in developing and transitional economies. The International Studies Program at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies is recognized worldwide for its efforts in support of economic and public policy reforms through technical assistance and training around the world. This reputation has been built serving a diverse client base, including the World Bank, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), finance ministries, government organizations, legislative bodies and private sector institutions.

Research paper thumbnail of Substitution and Income Effects of Lump-Sum Income at the Aggregate Level: The Effective Budget Constraint of the Government and the Flypaper Effect

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2000

Research paper thumbnail of Public Goods, Labor Supply and the Source of Economic Distortions

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2000

The Andrew Young School of Policy Studies was established at Georgia State University with the ob... more The Andrew Young School of Policy Studies was established at Georgia State University with the objective of promoting excellence in the design, implementation, and evaluation of public policy. In addition to two academic departments (economics and public administration), the Andrew Young School houses seven leading research centers and policy programs, including the International Studies Program. The mission of the International Studies Program is to provide academic and professional training, applied research, and technical assistance in support of sound public policy and sustainable economic growth in developing and transitional economies. The International Studies Program at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies is recognized worldwide for its efforts in support of economic and public policy reforms through technical assistance and training around the world. This reputation has been built serving a diverse client base, including the World Bank, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), finance ministries, government organizations, legislative bodies and private sector institutions. The success of the International Studies Program reflects the breadth and depth of the in-house technical expertise that the International Studies Program can draw upon. The Andrew Young School's faculty are leading experts in economics and public policy and have authored books, published in major academic and technical journals, and have extensive experience in designing and implementing technical assistance and training programs. Andrew Young School faculty have been active in policy reform in over 40countries around the world. Our technical assistance strategy is not to merely provide technical prescriptions for policy reform, but to engage in a collaborative effort with the host government and donor agency to identify and analyze the issues at hand, arrive at policy solutions and implement reforms. The International Studies Program specializes in four broad policy areas:  Fiscal policy, including tax reforms, public expenditure reviews, tax administration reform  Fiscal decentralization, including fiscal decentralization reforms, design of intergovernmental transfer systems, urban government finance  Budgeting and fiscal management, including local government budgeting, performancebased budgeting, capital budgeting, multi-year budgeting  Economic analysis and revenue forecasting, including micro-simulation, time series forecasting, For more information about our technical assistance activities and training programs, please

Research paper thumbnail of Property Taxation in Latin-America: An Assessment and Options for Reform

Research paper thumbnail of Explaining property tax collections in developing countries: the case of Latin America

Decentralization and Reform in Latin America, 2012

The Andrew Young School of Policy Studies was established at Georgia State University with the ob... more The Andrew Young School of Policy Studies was established at Georgia State University with the objective of promoting excellence in the design, implementation, and evaluation of public policy. In addition to two academic departments (economics and public administration), the Andrew Young School houses seven leading research centers and policy programs, including the International Studies Program. The mission of the International Studies Program is to provide academic and professional training, applied research, and technical assistance in support of sound public policy and sustainable economic growth in developing and transitional economies. The International Studies Program at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies is recognized worldwide for its efforts in support of economic and public policy reforms through technical assistance and training around the world. This reputation has been built serving a diverse client base, including the World Bank, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), finance ministries, government organizations, legislative bodies and private sector institutions.

Research paper thumbnail of Intergovernmental transfers: a policy reform perspective

Decentralization and Reform in Latin America, 2012

Research paper thumbnail of Toward a More General Theory of Revenue Assignments

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2000

The Andrew Young School of Policy Studies was established at Georgia State University with the ob... more The Andrew Young School of Policy Studies was established at Georgia State University with the objective of promoting excellence in the design, implementation, and evaluation of public policy. In addition to two academic departments (economics and public administration), the Andrew Young School houses seven leading research centers and policy programs, including the International Center for Public Policy. The mission of the International Center for Public Policy is to provide academic and professional training, applied research, and technical assistance in support of sound public policy and sustainable economic growth in developing and transitional economies. The International Center for Public Policy at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies is recognized worldwide for its efforts in support of economic and public policy reforms through technical assistance and training around the world. This reputation has been built serving a diverse client base, including the World Bank, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), finance ministries, government organizations, legislative bodies and private sector institutions. The success of the International Center for Public Policy reflects the breadth and depth of the in-house technical expertise that the International Center for Public Policy can draw upon. The Andrew Young School's faculty are leading experts in economics and public policy and have authored books, published in major academic and technical journals, and have extensive experience in designing and implementing technical assistance and training programs. Andrew Young School faculty have been active in policy reform in over 40 countries around the world. Our technical assistance strategy is not to merely provide technical prescriptions for policy reform, but to engage in a collaborative effort with the host government and donor agency to identify and analyze the issues at hand, arrive at policy solutions and implement reforms. The International Center for Public Policy specializes in four broad policy areas:  Fiscal policy, including tax reforms, public expenditure reviews, tax administration reform  Fiscal decentralization, including fiscal decentralization reforms, design of intergovernmental transfer systems, urban government finance  Budgeting and fiscal management, including local government budgeting, performancebased budgeting, capital budgeting, multi-year budgeting  Economic analysis and revenue forecasting, including micro-simulation, time series forecasting, For more information about our technical assistance activities and training programs, please visit our website at

Research paper thumbnail of Sub-National Revenue Mobilization in Peru

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2000

This paper analyzes the problem of sub-national revenue mobilization in Peru and proposes several... more This paper analyzes the problem of sub-national revenue mobilization in Peru and proposes several policy reforms to improve collection performance while maintaining a sound revenue structure. In particular, the paper analyzes the current revenues of regional and municipal governments and identifies the main priorities for reform. Among the most important problems are the acute inequalities and inefficiencies associated with revenue sharing from extractive industries. These revenues represent a significant share of sub-national budgets and currently they are distributed without consideration of the relative expenditure needs or fiscal capacity of sub-national units. In order to address this problem, the paper proposes the incorporation of a measure of fiscal capacity into the formula of the FONCOMUN, the municipal equalization transfer program. Other reforms explored include the reassignment of revenue sources between municipal provincial and district governments and the assignment of new taxes to regional governments.

Research paper thumbnail of Intergovernmental Transfers in Latin America: A Policy Reform Perspective

CEPAL, Santiago de Chile, 2010

International Studies Program Andrew Young School of Policy Studies The Andrew Young School of Po... more International Studies Program Andrew Young School of Policy Studies The Andrew Young School of Policy Studies was established at Georgia State University with the objective of promoting excellence in the design, implementation, and evaluation of public policy. In addition to two academic departments (economics and public administration), the Andrew Young School houses seven leading research centers and policy programs, including the International Studies Program. The mission of the International Studies Program is to provide academic and professional training, applied research, and technical assistance in support of sound public policy and sustainable economic growth in developing and transitional economies. The International Studies Program at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies is recognized worldwide for its efforts in support of economic and public policy reforms through technical assistance and training around the world. This reputation has been built serving a diverse client base, including the World Bank, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), finance ministries, government organizations, legislative bodies and private sector institutions.

Research paper thumbnail of Two Essays on Public Economics: The Consequences of Fiscal Decentralization on Poverty and Inequality, and The Second Best Solution to The Public Expenditures' …

Users of this dissertation not regularly enrolled as students at Georgia State University are req... more Users of this dissertation not regularly enrolled as students at Georgia State University are required to attest acceptance of the preceding stipulations by signing below. Libraries borrowing this dissertation for the use of their patrons are required to see that each user records here the information requested.

Research paper thumbnail of Intergovernmental Fiscal Relations in Romania: Challenges and Options for Reform

… Working Paper Series …, 2006

Downloadable! Right after Romania's change in regime in December 1989, profound changes in t... more Downloadable! Right after Romania's change in regime in December 1989, profound changes in the structure and functioning of government and the economy started to take place. Since the early 1990s the decentralization of the public sector has been an important policy initiative ...

Research paper thumbnail of Reigning in Provincial Fiscal 'Owners': Decentralization in Lao PDR

… Program Working Paper …, 2008

The Andrew Young School of Policy Studies was established at Georgia State University with the ob... more The Andrew Young School of Policy Studies was established at Georgia State University with the objective of promoting excellence in the design, implementation, and evaluation of public policy. In addition to two academic departments (economics and public administration), the Andrew Young School houses seven leading research centers and policy programs, including the International Studies Program. The mission of the International Studies Program is to provide academic and professional training, applied research, and technical assistance in support of sound public policy and sustainable economic growth in developing and transitional economies. The International Studies Program at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies is recognized worldwide for its efforts in support of economic and public policy reforms through technical assistance and training around the world. This reputation has been built serving a diverse client base, including the World Bank, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), finance ministries, government organizations, legislative bodies and private sector institutions.

Research paper thumbnail of The consequences of fiscal decentralization on poverty and income equality

Environment and Planning C: …, 2011

Many countries around the world are currently pursuing policies for poverty reduction and the imp... more Many countries around the world are currently pursuing policies for poverty reduction and the improvement of income distribution, and most of them are also implementing fiscal decentralization reforms. Although, separately, fiscal decentralization, poverty, and the distribution of income have been the subjects of extensive theoretical and empirical research, to date we have little understanding of what may be the impact of fiscal decentralization on poverty and inequality. We set out to shed some light on those relationships. We describe the possible channels through which fiscal decentralization might affect poverty and income inequalities and carry out an empirical analysis using panel data for a large number of countries. We find that fiscal decentralization may have significant effects on poverty and inequality. In particular, fiscal decentralization appears to lead to increases in the poverty measures we use, but it also appears to reduce income inequality if the general government represents a significant share of the economy (20% or more).